North Coast fest review: New venue, new vibe with returning headliners Bassnectar, Major Lazer

North Coast Music Festival ushered in its 10th year and the annual Labor Day weekend fest marked the occasion with numerous changes. Previously held at Union Park, the 2019 edition took place on Friday and Saturday at Northerly Island (down from three days), and for the first time, organizers partnered with Live Nation, who operate the venue. Most notable was the shift in the lineup: the mix of live bands, hip-hop and electronic dance music acts that gave North Coast an eclectic vibe that appealed to all manner of beat worship now solely focused on the latter DJ-producer-oriented acts. One thing that remained the same — with returning acts Bassnectar on Friday and Major Lazer on Saturday as headliners — dancing ruled the weekend.

On Saturday, chill grooves welcomed early arrivals, with local act GoodSex offering friendly banter and Ford., who followed, added to the atmospheric sounds opening the Pavilion mainstage. The other primary stage, the tent-styled Hangar, embodied a club atmosphere where Chicago’s Dee Mash’s trap flavorings kicked things off on Saturday. Later, Anna Lunoe, the sole female act of the weekend, held court with an exuberant turn that had the packed Hangar bouncing.

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According to organizers, an estimated 33,000 fans attended over the weekend. A silent disco and GoodSex’s GoodBus, a school bus converted to a mobile soundstage, featured additional local and regional acts. The venue, which also hosts country music festival LakeShake, made for a scenic setting with gorgeous skyline views, lake breezes and ample space for art installations and other festival-styled offerings.

Though the emphasis was on the electronic side of the dance spectrum, Saturday was not void of live instrumentation. British producer/songwriter SG Lewis’ melodic grooves were augmented by two musicians and two additional singers during his set, which included the reflective “Throwaway.” As the sun set, Gorgon City delivered emotive song “Go Slow” and the grooving “Delicious” during their live performance that housed dueling drums and two vocalists.

Snakehips’ set was a highlight with whimsical tempo shifts that blended in hooks from a range of genres, from Soulja Boy and Snoop Dogg to Foster the People, Khalid and Ellie Goulding. Snakehips’ own “All My Friends” featuring Tinashe and Chance the Rapper was a sing-along crowd favorite.

Tchami mixed spiritual themes with the profane. The French producer appeared clad in a black preacher-styled outfit, as lights pulsated to the flurry of beats and bass. The video imagery backdrop further emphasized the contrasting themes during his propulsive set. Church-styled stain glass window imagery was juxtaposed against neon-lit signs of bars, strip clubs and sex shops, while rain began to fall as if on cue to cleanse the more hedonistic aspects of the night.

With the Chicago skyline in the background, a couple shares a kiss at North Coast Music Festival on Northerly Island on Saturday. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Headliners Major Lazer turned up the party with their amalgam of world beats and rhythms, which included their recent collaboration with Skip Marley, “Can’t Take It From Me,” “Lean On” and early gems alongside hooks from other artists, including Lizzo, Drake and the White Stripes. A bevy of dancers and a live horn section joined Diplo, Walshy Fire and new member Ape Drums onstage for a carnivalesque performance. It was a participatory event, where call-and-responses and commands to jump and follow coordinated dance moves were enthusiastically met by fans to fittingly close out the dance-filled weekend.

While fans of the diverse lineups of North Coast’s past, which hosted some pretty great gets such as D’Angelo and Jamiroquai, might be disappointed with the new direction, 2019 attendees appeared to embrace it. Co-founders Michael Berg and Lucas King said a possible, separate future festival could appeal to those missing the live aspect. “Particularly, we’d love to provide something similar and musically focused for the jam band and rock fans who lean more towards live performance, instrument-based acts, void of computers and electronic production,” they said via email.